How to deal with professional envy
Feeling envious of another’s success? Here’s how to deal with your tricky emotions
By Ernest Richardson
As anyone who’s suffered from professional envy knows, it can be hard to stomach when a colleague enjoys success – especially if they don’t seem to deserve it.
| “There’s no point getting hot under the collar when other people receive accolades that you think they don’t deserve,”... |
It’s a reaction that must be controlled if you’re to thrive in the workplace. There’s no point getting hot under the collar when other people receive accolades that you think they don’t deserve. Even light-hearted comments can be interpreted as a case of sour grapes.
Far better to concentrate on improving your own performance so that your talents don’t go unnoticed for long.
Be positive, congratulate your colleague, and move on. No one wants to be known as the office whinger.
And, most important of all, don’t do anything you’ll later regret, such as quitting a dream job just to prove a point.
As ever, the best advice is the oldest in the book. Stop worrying about what you can’t control. Think instead about how you can be a model employee, then enjoy your recognition when it comes.
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Published: 16 October 2025
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